By Valerie Franklin (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: March 12, 2014
Fiddleheads emerge in the springtime, slowly uncurling themselves from the fronds of young ferns in wet, shady forest groves. These delicate green spirals are pleasantly crisp to the bite and have a mild, clean flavour similar to asparagus or broccoli stems. Freshly steamed to a bright green and tossed with a pat of butter, they’re a wonderful spring side-dish in their own right — but paired with garlic, basil, and tender, pungent mushrooms in this easy pasta dish, they’re exquisite.
Fiddleheads can be bought fresh or frozen at grocery stores and farmer’s markets, or you can even forage for them yourself on shady hillsides. As with mushroom hunting, first consult a reputable guide to safe and sustainable foraging practices; certain types of fern are poisonous or carcinogenic, and even edible fiddleheads can never be eaten raw.
Wild harvest pasta with fiddleheads and mushrooms
Makes four servings
1 tbsp butter
1 c. fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 c. fiddlehead ferns
2 c. uncooked pasta (penne, spiralini, or conchiglie are best for this dish)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
generous handful of fresh basil, chopped
¼ c. heavy cream
Salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese
Cook the pasta, drain, and set aside.
Boil the fiddlehead ferns in their own pot of water for about two minutes, or until tender. Once they’re cooked, immediately drain and rinse them with very cold water to preserve their crispness and bright colour.
Melt the butter in a deep frying pan or pot. Toss in the sliced mushrooms and let them fry over medium heat; you should hear them gently sizzling but not spitting. Once the morels are golden-brown around the edges, add the garlic, basil, pasta, cream, and the cooked fiddleheads. Stir over low-medium heat for two minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, top with shaved parmesan, and serve.
